Tusnádfürdő, July 23, 2025 How can Romanian be taught effectively to Hungarian-speaking students? The long-standing issue returned to the agenda on day one of the annual Bálványos Summer University. Education policymakers and teachers shared their experiences and proposals at a roundtable discussion. 

Participants agreed that knowledge of Romanian is not only an exam requirement but a fundamental condition for young people’s success in life. State Secretary Zoltán Kallós recalled that for many years Romanian was taught to both Hungarian and Romanian students using the same textbooks, disregarding differences in linguistic background. Although special curricula now exist, especially in grades 5–8, there is still a pressing need for methodology reform

Bálint Markó, vice-rector of the Babeș–Bolyai University in Cluj/Kolozsvár, emphasized that language acquisition is truly acquired in everyday life. In his view, students should not be primarily engaging with the language through literary texts, but through experiential learning – even something as simple as buying ice cream in Romanian.

According to MP Ödön Szabó, the “bogeyman” role of the Romanian language arose because Hungarian students have not received adequate methodological support for a long time. Today, however, separate curricula and extracurricular programs have already yielded results in many places: in Bihor/Bihar County for example, over 90 percent of Hungarian minority high school graduates now pass their Romanian language exam.

The speakers’ shared message was clear: mastering the Romanian language is not a burden but an opportunity – the key to both the community’s survival and young people’s prospects.

Source: Szekelyhon

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